Livingston Parish tables Demco substation preliminary site plan after residents raise health, flooding and outreach concerns

The Livingston Parish Planning Commission on March 6 held an informational public hearing on a proposed Demco electrical substation along 4 H Club Road, then tabled the preliminary site plan and set a special meeting for March 20 to continue consideration.

Demco Director of Engineering Matt Gibson told the commission the substation is intended to support growth in the area and preserve power quality, saying the utility’s modeling shows voltage would fall below acceptable tolerance without another substation and that locating the site close to existing transmission reduces the need for extended distribution lines. “This substation’s main purpose is to support the growth that’s been happening in the existing area,” Gibson said.

Why it matters: residents across the road and local officials said the chosen parcel—purchased last year, they said—places heavy infrastructure immediately next to established homes and family land. Speakers pressed the parish and Demco for more environmental and design detail, legal clarity about zoning, and assurances on noise, drainage, electromagnetic fields and emergency response before the commission advances the project.

What the applicant said: Gibson and Demco staff described the site-selection rationale: proximity to transmission lines and existing circuits, a plan for one transformer initially (a standard 30 MVA unit) with space to add a second transformer later for redundancy, and a three-year construction estimate. Gibson said the initial build is sized to address current and near-term power-quality and reliability problems and that adding transmission or moving the site farther away would substantially raise infrastructure costs. “If we could afford to put everything underground, it would have been underground a long time ago,” he said when asked about visual impacts and undergrounding lines.

Public concerns: multiple residents said they learned about the project only recently, flagged the location as wetlands and low-lying ground that would require fill and drainage mitigation, and asked Demco to consider alternative sites farther from existing houses. Clifton Brown, who said he lives directly across the road from the proposed site, told the commission, “We’re not against growth in Livingston Parish…but why should we have to put up with this power station across the street from our home?” Other speakers requested a noise study, documentation of expected electromagnetic-field (EMF) levels, clarification about whether the site allows future expansion and whether nearby beekeeping operations would be affected.

Planning and engineering staff: Engineering reviewer Morgan said the applicant had addressed the engineering comments submitted to date and recommended approval to proceed with studies, but repeatedly reminded the commission that the submittal is in a preliminary/informational phase and that Demco must still complete required studies (drainage, flood mitigation, DOTD access permits if needed). Planning staff noted the application was submitted before zoning for that district was adopted; because the submittal predated the R-1 zoning designation, zoning limits tied to R-1 (minor-versus-major utility definitions) did not automatically apply to the current preliminary filing and the commission should seek legal clarity on how to treat zoning in the review sequence.

Formal outcome: After public comment and staff remarks, the commission voted to table Item 8 and hold a special meeting on March 20 to continue consideration after the applicant and staff compile outstanding studies and responses. The commission did not approve the site plan at the March 6 meeting; the item will return to the commission agenda for further review.

Next steps and implementation risk: Demco must complete drainage and flood-mitigation studies, provide documentation on noise and EMF expectations, secure any required DOTD access approval, and respond to planning department requests. The project as described would proceed in phases; staff said the initial build is limited to one transformer (30 MVA) with room for a second transformer if future load and service territory changes require it. Because the project needs multiple external approvals and additional studies, implementation risk is medium to high.

Community context: Residents cited nearby place names and features including Harrells Ferry, Harris Road, Nickens Lake and multiple proposed housing developments south of the site. Several speakers asked the parish to require mitigation measures such as vegetative screening, a noise study, setbacks from residences and documentation of EMF levels before the commission considers approval.

Ending: The March 20 special meeting will reopen Item 8 so the commission can review outstanding technical studies and any additional materials from Demco and parish staff.